Musical wind instrument.



W. J. GRONERT & W. C. REID.

MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I9, I916.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

INVENTORS W/T/VESSES: I

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A TTOR/VEIS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. GRONERT AND WILLIAM C. REID, OF ELKHAR'I, INDIANA.

MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed February 19, 1916. Serial No. 79,368.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WVILLIAM J. Gnonnn r and VVILLIAM C. REID, citizens of the United States, and residents of Elkhart. in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical \Vind Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates generally to pitch changing and tuning attachments for musical instruments, and particularly to combined attachments of this nature for use in connection with cornets and other wind instruments using open or cup-shaped mouthpieces, our object being to combine independently-acting tuning and pitch changing facilities in a single slide, permitting instantaneous change from one pitch to another and maintaining the same tonal qualities in either pitch.

In the accompanying drawing is shown the construction by which the above object is preferably carried out, as will be presently described in connection with said drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cornet embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken therethrough substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the parallel wind passages to which our improvements are applied. Fig. 4 is a cross section taken therethrough substantially on line t-l of Fig. 3.

Referring now to these figures, the instrument shown has parallel wind passages A and A respectively communicating with the bell A and mouthpiece A the communication of the former being through the valves B, B, and B A part of the instrument, preferably the tuning slide B of valve B which extends beyond the open ends of the windpassages A and A before referred to, is provided with a. rigid bearing 10 in which is threaded a pin 11 having a knurled head 12 at one side of the bearing and a small extension '13 at the opppsite side thereof.

The pitch-changing slide proposed by our invention consists of spaced legs 14 and 15 having reduced tubular extensions at their inner ends telescoping within the wind passages A. and A respectively, as clearly seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and into the outer ends of which legs 14 and 15 telescope the extensions of the tuning slide 16 having a centrally located and rearwardly projecting piece 17 in the form of a rack bar extending through a bearing 19 located centrally of a cross head 20 rigidly connecting the legs 1.1 and 15 of the pitch changing slide. This crosshead has a rearwardly projecting tube 18, into which the rack bar extends. provided at its rear end with an enlarged button 18 forming a finger piece for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The crosshead 20 also has a lower casing 21 housing a pinion 22 in engagement with rack bar 17 and secured upon the inner portion of a laterally projecting shaft 22", upon the outer portion of which is a knurled finger wheel 2-2 The tuning slide 16 may thus be conveniently adjusted with respect to the pitch changing slide, by the manipulation of the finger wheel 22 independent of movement of the said pitch changing slide from its inner position shown in Fig. 1, to its outer position. shown in Fig. 3, corresponding relatively to the keys B fiat and A. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that in such movement of the pitch-changing slide, the path of movement of the button 18 is interrupted by the reduced extension 13 of the stop pin 11, these parts being relatively arranged so that the proper length of movement of the pitclr changing slide is permitted.

Thus, in the use of the instrument, the blower may, by placing his finger against the button 18 and pressing toward him, cause movement of the pitch changing slide to its forward position until button 18 engages the stop pin 11, thus changing the pitch of the instrument, without requiring tuning in view of the fact that the tuning slide is already adjusted and its relation to the pitch changing slide remains unchanged. The construction described and shown obviates the use of a separate tuning slide and the usual limiting rod for the movement of the pitch changing slide, including adjustable nuts or burs which rattle in use and frequently become displaced and lost when they are most needed.

It is to be understood, of course, that our improvements are applicable to other instruments than the cornet as shown, and may be used, in fact, in connection with all wind instruments, such as trumpets, trombones, and the like, employing open or cupshaped mouthpieces.

lVe claim 1. An instrument of the nature described including a pitch changing slide consisting of spaced legs having extensions at one end telescoping within parallel air passages of the instrument and open at their opposite ends, a tuning slide, the extensions of which project within the last mentioned ends of the said legs of the pitch-changing slide, said tuning slide being provided with a rack bar, a cross head connecting the legs of the pitch-changing slide and having a bearing for said rack bar, a rearwardly projecting tube in which the rack bar extends, provided with a button at its end, a shaft for adjusting the tuning slide, having a gear engaging the said rack bar of said slide, said shaft having a rotatable bearing in the said cross head and a finger wheel at its outer end, said instrument having a rigid bearing, and a stop pin secured in said bearing and projecting into the path of movement of the said button to limit pitch-changing movements of the said pitch changing slide.

2. An instrument of the nature described having a pitch-changing slide movable in the direction of the length of the instrument and provided with spaced side portions, a rigid finger piece carried by the slide between its side portions, and a stop pin secured adjacent said slide and projectinginto the path of movement of the said fingerpiece.

3. An instrument of the nature described having a U-shaped pitch-changing slide movable in the direction of the length of the instrument and provided with a rigid stop member between its side portions, said instrument having a bearing adjacent the said slide, and a stop pin removably held in the said bearing and projecting into the path of movement of the stop member of said slide.

at. An instrument of the nature described having a U-shaped pitch changing slide movable in the direction of the length of the instrument and provided with a rigid fingerpiece between its side portions, said instru ment having a rigid bearing adjacent the said slide, and a stop pin threaded in the said hearing at right angles to the direction of movement of theslide and projecting into the path of movement of the said fingerpiece.

5. An instrument of the nature described having a U-shaped pitch-changing slide provided with a cross head and with a tube projecting centrally from said cross head parallel with the side portions of the slide, an adjusting shaft journaled in the cross head, having a gear adjacent said tube and a fingerpiece, and a tuning slide carried by said pitch changing slide and having a rack bar projecting within the said tube and engaged by the said gear.

WILLIAM J. GRONERT. WILLIAM'C. REID.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Gommissioner of fatents, Washington, D. 0. 

